Uninstalling programs through Command Prompt (CMD) can be extremely useful especially when the Settings app won’t open, the program won’t uninstall normally, or you need an automated/scripted solution. This guide explains the simplest CMD-based methods to remove software from Windows 10 and 11.
Prerequisites
Before using CMD to uninstall programs, make sure you have:
- Administrator privileges
- Command Prompt opened as Administrator (required for all commands)
Method 1: Uninstall Software Using Winget
If the app was installed using Winget, you can remove it quickly with a simple command.
Step 1: Open CMD as Administrator
- Right-click the Start button → Command Prompt (Admin).
Step 2: List Installed Applications
winget list
Step 3: Step 3: Uninstall the Program
To uninstall an application, use the following command:
winget uninstall <software_name>
For example: winget uninstall Google.Chrome
Method 2: Uninstall Software Using Chocolatey
If Chocolatey was used to install programs, it can also remove them.
Step 1: Open CMD as Administrator
Step 2: Uninstall the Software
Run the following command to uninstall the software:
choco uninstall <software_name>
For example: choco uninstall googlechrome (uninstall Google Chrome)
Method 3: Uninstall Software Using WMIC
WMIC (Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line) allows uninstalling classic desktop programs (not Microsoft Store apps).
Step 1: Open CMD as Administrator
Step 2: List Installed Programs
- Run the following command to list installed software:
wmic product get name
Step 3: Uninstall Your Program
- To uninstall the software, run the following command:
wmic product where name="<software_name>" call uninstall
For example, to uninstall Google Chrome, run the following command:
wmic product where name="Google Chrome" call uninstallNote: WMIC is deprecated, but still works on many systems.